Off the Hill with Tricia Swenson: Building smart homes for wounded vets

Imagine returning to the house you grew up in and seeing the staircase to the front door. When you were little, you flew up those stairs, you probably jumped off them and played with your toys on those stairs. Now imagine if those stairs presented the biggest obstacle to getting into your home.

For the thousands of the catastrophically injured service members who return home, this is a realistic scenario. A simple staircase, a doorway, a bathroom or kitchen become the enemy that stands between them and their independence.

The Steven Sillers Tower to Tunnel Foundation is trying to change that with their Buidling for America’s Bravest campaign. Through partnerships built with nationwide carpet producer, Carpet One, and locally owned flooring store, Ruggs Benedict, more smart homes are under construction across the nation.

These homes are called “smart” because of the adaptive technology used to help the veterans maneuver around and control their surroundings. Each is custom designed for the veterans and their families.

A few features that make these homes more accessible include wider doorways, special showers and cabinets and cupboards that can raise and lower for the needs of all the family members. Automatic doors, lighting as well as heating and cooling systems can all be controlled by tablets.

This is more than building a home, it’s building someone’s confidence, independence, a second chance, a place of safety. These homes build hope.

The list is long. For every smart home built, another three veterans are added to the list.

Carpet One is supporting America’s Bravest by installing the flooring for these structures. Ruggs Benedict is helping to raise money to build these smart homes. From Sept. 11 through December 31 of this year, they will donate $100 for every flooring project they install for Building for America’s Bravest. Find out how you can help in today’s video.